Shirley Donizete Prado

A pesquisa sobre envelhecimento humano no Brasil: grupos e linhas de pesquisa

Descrevemos a pesquisa cientifica sobre envelhecimento humano no Brasil a partir da versao 4.1 do Diretorio dos Grupos de Pesquisa no Brasil (2000) do Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq). O criterio para a identificacao dos grupos estudados foi o desenvolvimento de, pelo menos, uma linha de pesquisa referente ao envelhecimento humano, e a busca na base de dados foi realizada a partir de palavras-chave associadas ao envelhecimento humano. Foram identificados 144 grupos, 209 linhas de pesquisa e 511 pesquisadores. Discutimos as areas de conhecimento em que se inserem estes grupos, o periodo de seu surgimento e sua distribuicao geografica e institucional.

A pesquisa sobre envelhecimento humano no Brasil: pesquisadores, temas e tendências

Discutimos temas investigados e tendencias da pesquisa sobre envelhecimento humano no Brasil a partir de indicadores que relacionam a titulacao de pesquisadores e estudantes inseridos nos grupos de pesquisa que compoem o Diretorio dos Grupos de Pesquisa no Brasil (2002) do Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq) em sua versao 4.1. O criterio para a identificacao dos grupos estudados foi o desenvolvimento de, pelo menos, uma linha de pesquisa referente ao envelhecimento humano, e a busca na base de dados foi realizada a partir de palavras-chave associadas ao processo de envelhecimento humano. Foram identificados 144 grupos, 209 linhas de pesquisa e 511 pesquisadores. Os resultados sugerem uma reduzida capacidade de reproducao desta forca de trabalho, menor ainda entre os grupos que se voltam exclusivamente para o estudo do envelhecimento humano. Indicam tambem que o percurso em direcao a consolidacao cientifica da pesquisa para esses grupos especificos ha de ser bem mais longo que para outras areas, como a epidemiologia, por exemplo.

Comer, alimentar e nutrir: categorias analíticas instrumentais no campo da pesquisa científica

Comer, alimentar ou nutrir circulam na nossa cultura, aproximadamente, como sinonimos e desse modo nao dao conta das transformacoes que vem ocorrendo na alimentacao, que desejadas ou indesejadas contam com um hibridismo de padroes que representa uma mudanca tanto de regras como de preferencias alimentares. O objetivo do artigo e tornar essas concepcoes de senso comum categorias de analise e interpretacao para pesquisas das Ciencias Humanas e da Saude, numa perspectiva teorica, atraves da conceituacao. Neste espaco interdisciplinar da Nutricao e das Ciencias Sociais, o alimento aparece associado a uma funcao natural (biologica), numa concepcao em que natureza se contrapoe a cultura, e a comida assume sentidos e significados culturais (simbolicos). A alimentacao expressa divisao do trabalho, da riqueza, e criacao historico-cultural atraves da qual se pode estudar uma sociedade. Atribui-se a Nutricao um sentido de acao racional, oriundo da constituicao dessa ciencia na modernidade, inserida num processo historico de racionalizacao cientifica do comer e do alimentar-se. Consideramos que atraves da conceituacao na pratica interdisciplinar de pesquisa, que envolve um espaco compartilhado de saberes, podemos ser menos limitados por um modelo teorico uniformizado de saber e mais livres para pensar questoes sobre a vida.

A gerontologia como campo do conhecimento científico: conceito, interesses e projeto político

Discutimos a gerontologia em suas pretensoes de constituir-se como a ciencia do envelhecimento no Brasil. Consideramos o pensamento de Stengers, que defende a ideia de que o desenvolvimento de um conceito e o despertar de interesses em diferentes setores da sociedade, articulados a um projeto politico, constituem-se em pilares fundamentais para o estabelecimento de um campo cientifico. Identificamos limitacoes conceituais importantes envolvendo a delimitacao da velhice e do envelhecimento, bem como problemas referentes a hierarquias entre dominios internos a gerontologia e a outros campos do conhecimento. A despeito dos importantes interesses suscitados quando a velhice esta em questao, a gerontologia parece estar num plano muito limitado como parque cientifico e como massa critica para a producao de pesquisas de ponta. Parece-nos que o momento atual de elaboracao de um projeto politico para a gerontologia esta situado no espaco da tentativa de incorporacao do discurso epistemologico, a partir de uma perspectiva que nos faz pensar na necessidade do aprofundamento da abordagem teorica acerca do conceito que pretende capturar; sob pena de nao avancar na constituicao de um importante conjunto de pesquisadores brasileiros de ponta, inseridos no cenario internacional da producao de conhecimento sobre o ser que envelhece.

Alimentação e nutrição como campo científico autônomo no Brasil: conceitos, domínios e projetos políticos

This paper discusses concepts, domains, and some interests in constituting Food and Nutrition as a scientific field in Brazil. The theory of social fields crosscutting Bourdieus thought, combined with Stengerss thoughts about scientific fields, were used to distinguish between food-related domains and those concerned with nutrients and eating. Once the differences among them are recognized, one realizes that eating, nourishing and feeding are inter-related human phenomena; so epistemological plurality is the first requirement for its understanding, considering the interfaces between biological and social dimensions. Consequently, it is essential to recognize the need for closer relations among scientific fields, although this approach is only established in processes involving disputed interests. In this sense, despite the challenges, the link between Food and Nutrition corresponds to a promising and necessary political project from the viewpoint of the interdisciplinarity that the nature of this binomial requires for its understanding as a field of knowledge production and knowledge related to the sociocultural and biological processes that run throughout human life.

Alimentação saudável na experiência de idosos

We seek, in this paper, to identify which means healthy alimentation for the elderly and the difficulties found daily to incorporate this set of precepts. We interviewed 202 elderly over 60 years, most females (93.1%), current or previous participants of activities at the Open University for Studies on the Elderly of Rio de Janeiro State University (70.8%). The responses indicate an ideology which has close ties to the concern for health, to prevent or treat chronic and degenerative diseases, with biologicist and medicalizing character of eating distanced from the world of desire and subjectivity. Difficulties concerning purchasing power, family life or solitude, biological issues imposed by the aging process appear as limiting to the regular practice of healthy eating. We believe that, from reflections on these questions, you can enrich the concept of healthy eating, including effectively both inside the health, as disease, considering the importance of a dialogue in which the subjects are experts, health professionals and elderly subjects, included therein, technical and subjective aspects in the construction of life projects, of projects of happiness.

A criação da área "nutrição" na Capes

This text was based on a document prepared by the National Forum of Coordinators of Graduate Studies in Food and Nutrition, which has proposed the creation of the Food and Nutrition Area by the Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior, of the Brazilian Ministry of Education. Starting with the establishment of food and nutrition as a field of knowledge and practices in Brazil, the role played by the National Forum of Coordinators of Graduate Studies in Food and Nutrition, which has proposed the creation of the Food and Nutrition in the sense of its academic strengthening is highlighted. The profiles of these programs since the 1970s are described, emphasizing their numerical and qualitative growth. The research lines that make up these programs and content indicate their epistemic formation, and the Brazilian research groups in this field are considered potential multipliers of new masters and doctoral programs. This new area was created in 2011, with programs throughout the country, except in the North Region. Thereafter, this Forum, representing the 18 programs that initially constitute the area, together with the coordination and committee designated by Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior, have the challenge of strengthening the Brazilian graduate education on the scientific field of food and nutrition.

A vida não pode ser feita só de sonhos: reflexões sobre publicidade e alimentação saudável

In this essay we present some thoughts on advertising and a healthy diet in the contemporary world, where consumption plays a highly relevant role. We seek to emphasize two aspects, among many others yet to be explored in the scientific literature in the food and nutritional field: the hegemony of the biomedical paradigm and the fragmentation of human life when advertising campaigns associate food with the idea of a healthy diet. We believe that we cannot merely live through advertisements in which our desires are triggered constantly and where the world is only dreams and the main goal is to sell more and earn more, even using some strategies for dissemination of biomedical and nutritional information. In our opinion, the merger between diet and health, i.e. a healthy diet, must involve enlightenment of the individual including information on quality in the context of social life in order to achieve the ideal of happiness. Individuals whose identities are fully formed both in dreams and reality can boldly seek knowledge and think about themselves in the world context, as well as zeal for their diet and health.

“O Fim da Linha”? Etnografia da alimentação de idosos institucionalizados – reflexões a partir das contribuições metodológicas de Malinowski

This essay is part of an ethnographic research that seeks to grasp the meaning of alimentation for institutionalized elderly, from a qualitative research based on the reflections of Bronislaw Malinowski. We applied the techniques of participant observation and semi-structured interviews with elders of both sexes, aged between 66 and 93 years old, living in two institutions for the aged located in Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. Exploring the researchers impressions, the observation of internal codes, standards of behavior, imponderable phenomena of real life, the social distribution of function, the organization of the community in an integrated whole, we find that the feeding routine within the institution is extremely controlled and deprived of meaning, as it does not take into account the cultural identity and individuality of the elderly. However, we believe that a paradigm shift in alimentation through the redefinition of eating could help enrich and better quality of life of this community.

A pesquisa em Nutrição Clínica no Brasil

This essay intends to make a first approach to Clinical Nutrition research. We consider the gap that exists between information and debates about epistemological elements and about interests that mark this activity inside the scientific Field of Food and Nutrition in Brazil. The multidimensional character of the food-nutrition field is presented with its strong brand identity and motive of distinction. However, research in Clinical Nutrition is characterized by the biomedical perspective that focuses emphatically on metabolism and disease, excluding the social relationships and intersubjectivity of the studies that centre on nutrition and ignore food. The relief from suffering requires understanding interpersonal relationships in society. Both from the methodological and epistemological viewpoints, biomedicine is not capable of encompassing the entirety of the human life phenomenon. For these reasons, Human and Social Sciences can provide an interdisciplinary contribution to the Field of Food and Nutrition, in the sense of instrumenting innovative studies conceptually and methodologically. Such perspectives can bring to light the subjective dimensions of human illness that correspond to the essential subject of study for Clinical Nutrition.